Nationals Fifth-Round Draft Pick Coy James Makes MLB History With Massive Bonus

The Washington Nationals have been very busy recently, completing the 2025 MLB draft while simultaneously working the phones with the trade deadline only days away.

Over the weekend, they made their first significant move of the year, trading versatile veteran Amed Rosario to the New York Yankees in exchange for pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martinez.

Rosario, who signed a one-year deal with the Nationals as a free agent this past winter, has been turned into two prospects, creating excellent value for the franchise.

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They hope those pieces can amount to something, as they will undoubtedly be joined by more prospects in the coming days with more trades expected to occur.

Along with trades being made, Washington is adding to its farm system with a plethora of draft selections.

One player who is already garnering a ton of headlines is fifth-round pick James Coy.

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The No. 142 overall pick out of Davie County High School in Mocksville, N.C., was originally committed to play at the University of Mississippi.

That will no longer be the plan for James, who has received a record-setting bonus from the Nationals to forgo his college commitment and begin his professional career immediately.

According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, via Bobby Blanco of MASN, Washington has signed James to a $2.5 million bonus.

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That is the biggest bonus ever given to a player selected after the fourth round in the MLB draft, blowing away the slot value of $508,900.

That signing, along with those of third-round pick Landon Harmon and fourth-round pick Miguel Sime Jr., were all made possible because Washington used the No. 1 overall pick on prep star Eli Willits.

Nearly $3 million of their bonus pool money was saved by signing him to a deal worth $8.20 million despite a slot value of $11.08 million.

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